One-off Test between India-Bangladesh ends in a draw

Fatullah: Ravichandran Ashwin cast his web with a five-wicket haul and was duly complemented by Harbhajan Singh before India settled for a draw against an edgy Bangladesh in the rain-marred one-off cricket Test which was interrupted by downpours on all five days.

With more than 250 overs lost during the entire duration of the match, the visitors would feel unlucky that they didn’t even get three full days of cricket which could have decisively tilted the match in their favour.

Virat Kohli’s boys were superior in all departments and would certainly have a psychological advantage going into the three-match ODI series starting Thursday.

In reply to India’s first innings score of 462 for six, Bangladesh, resuming at 111 for three after the opening session was washed out, faced the ignominy of being shot out for 256 in 65.5 overs — seven runs short of the follow-on.

While Ashwin, with 5/87 from 25 overs, bamboozled the Bangladeshi batsmen with vicious turn and bounce, Harbhajan (3/64 in 17.5 overs) also justified his inclusion in the side bowling well in patches to become the ninth highest Test wicket-taker in the history of the game, surpassing Pakistan legend Wasim Akram.

In fact, Kohli probably wanted to drive home a point by asking Bangladesh to follow-on in what was an inconsequential final hour of play on the fifth day where only two sessions were possible due to overnight rain.

When play was finally called off, Bangladesh were 23 for no loss in the 15 overs that were bowled in their second innings.

For Bangladesh, Imrul Kayes (72) has been the top-scorer but it was young debutant Litton Kumar Das, who played a lovely cameo hitting a quickfire 44 off 45 balls with eight fours and a six before being gobbled by Rohit Sharma at backward short leg off Ashwin.

Another youngster Soumya Sarkar (37) also showed his attacking prowess but could not convert his start.